1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to computer networks. More particularly, the invention relates to an efficient technique for logging on to multiple switches in a fabric. Still more particularly, the invention relates to a control console which prevents a user from having to enter log in information for a switch in a fabric more than once, despite desiring to access the switch more than once.
2. Background Information
Initially, computers were most typically used in a standalone manner. It is now commonplace for computers and other types of computer-related and electronic devices to communicate with each other over a network. The ability for computers to communicate with one another has lead to the creation of networks ranging from small networks comprising two or three computers to vast networks comprising hundreds or even thousands of computers. Networks can be set up to provide a wide assortment of capabilities. For example, networks of computers may permit each computer to share a centralized mass storage device or printer. Further, networks enable electronic mail and numerous other types of services. Generally, a network's infrastructure comprises switches, routers, hubs and the like to coordinate the effective and efficient transfer of data and commands from one point on the network to another.
Networks often comprise a “fabric” of interconnected switches which are devices that route data packets from a source port to a destination port. The switches in a network are relatively complex devices that include processors, memory, and related components and execute firmware stored in non-volatile memory which may comprise read only memory (“ROM”). The switches typically have multiple ports which may be physically connected to other switches or other devices such as consoles, storage devices and other types of I/O devices. Via one or more consoles connected to the switches, a network administrator can monitor the status of any of the switches in the fabric, configure any switch, flash the switch's ROM and generally perform any of a variety of desired administrative activities.
For sake of security, each administrative task with respect to a switch typically requires the administrator to enter user verification information, such as a User ID and Password, to reduce the risk of an unauthorized entity gaining administrative access to the fabric. Although not terribly cumbersome with a relatively few switches in the fabric, the action of manually entering a User ID and Password via a keyboard coupled to the console for each switch to be accessed for an administrative action can be very cumbersome and time consuming in a fabric having a large number of switches. Further, at least in some fabric implementations, the administrator's User ID and Password must be entered each time a switch is accessed even if the same switch is accessed more than once to perform an administrative action. For example, the administrator may desire to flash a switch's ROM. Then, the administrator may desire to reconfigure one of the switch's ports. For each of these actions, the administrator will be inconvenienced by having to enter a User ID and Password. As noted above, this inconvenience is exacerbated as the number of switches in the fabric grows. Accordingly, a solution to this problem is needed.